Cabanes between the Church, Castle and Route 312
Accommodation in Cabanes
Cabanes brings together an expansive landscape with buildings and traces from different eras. These offer concrete points of reference when choosing a destination: you can explore the parish church of Sant Vicenç and medieval remains, or learn about the history of the former airfield and Route 312. The use of the Muga for mills is also part of the town’s history.
Landscape and water use
Cabanes lies on the plain of Alt EmpordĂ , amid a broad expanse watered by the Muga and Llobregat rivers. The waterways are not just part of the landscape: since the 12th century, water from the Muga has been used to operate mills in Cabanes. They were probably used to grind grain.
Remains of two bunkers are also visible along the Muga.
Church, castle and medieval traces
Construction of the present-day parish church of Sant Vicenç began in 1803; it was consecrated on 22 January 1820. The church contains a stone baptismal font with geometric and floral motifs, dated 1604. The font’s date and the construction period of the present-day church thus mark two different points in Cabanes’s religious history.
The Torre de Cabanes is the only surviving part of the castle. The cylindrical tower is about 16 metres high. Remains of the medieval church of Sant Maurici can also be seen in the Cabanes cemetery: a surviving 20-metre-long wall of the nave and part of a semicircular apse. Only the medieval church remains of the monastery of Sant Feliu de Cadins; the other monastery buildings have been lost.
The chapel of Sant SebastiĂ also has a specific historical role. Until the beginning of the 18th century, the Viscounts of RocabertĂ used it for ceremonies to take possession of their rights over Cabanes. The buildings thus represent different forms of religious and seigneurial history, rather than a single era.
The former airfield and Route 312
The former Republican airfield Aeròdrom 312, also known as SAF-26, was in operation from the summer of 1937 until 5 February 1939. Route 312 follows in the footsteps of this use. A shorter option starts and ends in Cabanes, goes to the former aircraft hangars and is 5.3 kilometres long. The estimated time for the route is approximately 65 minutes, not including time spent there. The duration therefore does not include a visit to the hangars.
The Route 312 circular trail in Cabanes is 10 kilometres long and starts and ends at the La Fruitareda car park. The route lengths offer a concrete comparison if you are choosing between the shorter option and the longer circular trail. Local conditions may change; check them before your hike. Parking availability at La Fruitareda may also change, so it is advisable to check the current situation before planning.
Other fortifications add to the traces of military history: six known structures are documented in Cabanes. Remains of four bunkers are still visible—one by the Llobregat, one on the GIV-6024 and two by the Muga. The condition of individual remains may change. The bunkers therefore offer a different way to explore the town’s history from the airfield, whose dates are clearly established.
Choosing Cabanes as a destination
Religious buildings, medieval remains and the history of the airfield offer different thematic focuses; Route 312 adds two stated route lengths. This makes it possible to first decide which aspects you would like to focus on during your stay, without equating buildings, historic sites and walking routes.
Discover more destinations: CruĂŻlles, Llambilles, Beget, Toses, JuiĂ , Vilabertran, Sant Jordi Desvalls, LladĂł.
For the broader travel overview: Girona.
